


hurt / binwoo

by spottybob



Category: ASTRO (Band)
Genre: AU, Abusive Relationship, Alternate Universe - High School, Angst, Anxiety, Depression, Eating Disorders, High School, M/M, Underage Rape/Non-con, and myungjun is kinda really sad about that, bully jinwoo, domestic abuse, eunwoo just needs a hug, he's a big jerk, jinwoo is kinda a jerk, so is eunwoo
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-07-26
Updated: 2018-10-14
Packaged: 2019-06-16 14:40:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con, Underage
Chapters: 10
Words: 10,506
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15439293
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/spottybob/pseuds/spottybob
Summary: in which high schoolfreshman, cha eunwoo,in the hurtful grasp ofsenior park jinwoo, meetsmoonbin, a high schooljunior with a soft spot forthe teenager who wouldcome to school with newwounds every day.사랑을 했다 우리가age changes:eunwoo; fifteenmoonbin; seventeenjinwoo; eighteenmyungjun; eighteensanha; sixteenminhyuk; sixteen





	1. ( one )

하나 장 ~ one

moonbin arguably thought that this was the worst day of his life so far, and his friends were just making it worse at this point.

it had started off with something of an awful breakfast, where he had managed to bite into a rotten apple, leaving a bitter taste in his mouth that he couldn't brush away with toothpaste, as he had already been running late.

after arriving at school, nearly ten minutes late, he had gone into the school only to nearly get hit in the face by a small, frail-looking freshman who had been opening the door as he had walked up to it. he didn't even apologize, running quickly as he didn't look back. moonbin's annoyance lessened as he assumed that the freshman was late as well, and much more nervous about it as well.

when he finally had made it to his class, moonbin had managed to sneak into the class without the teacher noticing, as she had been speaking firmly with another student at her desk. moonbin made it to the back of the class, taking a seat quickly and slumping down in his seat after putting his bag to the side.

he had gone through class, amber eyes half-closed as he drifted off. besides, most of what he should've been paying attention to he probably already knew. (a bit arrogant of him to assume, but he ignored that small part of his brain.)

by the time lunch rolled around, moonbin felt legitimately brain-dead, his head feeling like a pile of mush. he had math, science, finishing off the last class before the lunch break with physics, which he had actually excelled in. the only thing leaving him from properly getting through the class was the incompetent teacher and the growing headache he had.

when he finally reached the lunch table he had resided at, he was completely spent, even though it had barely been half the day. it was then he also realized he hadn't gotten himself a lunch, nor had he grabbed the money he left on the kitchen counter after spitting out the rotten apple bite.

he rested his forearms on the table, resting his head on it not a moment later, cheek pressed against the covered skin. his bleach white hair was lit up by the sunlight that filtered through the windows, and it was a welcome relief, basking in it like a cat would on a lazy day.

of course, the small moment of peace was promptly interrupted by minhyuk, who had found it absolutely hilarious to mess up his hair, dropping down in the seat next to him with a crooked smile playing on his face.

"look alive, soldier. jinjin wants to introduce us to his new friend," minhyuk said, patting his back with his hand. moonbin immediately sat up, a bit wary of who jinwoo would introduce them to. the high school senior didn't exactly have the best reputation, getting in fights and hanging with the wrong crowd.

they were, however still friends, shaky but friends nonetheless. behind the reputation he was pretty nice to them, never forcing the consequences of his frustrations into them, and trying to limit the fights he got into. with him, myungjun, sanha, minhyuk, and jinwoo, their group of five had been quite content being just a group of five. with someone new brought into the mix, moonbin wasn't sure how that would affect their group's dynamics.

soon, the rest of the school trickled into the lunch room slowly, creating a loud buzz of chatter that filled the room completely, enveloping any quiet talking that minhyuk and moonbin could've exchanged before sanha and myungjun had shown up.

about half of lunch had passed, and the group were still waiting on jinwoo and his mysterious new companion. sanha was quite interested to see who it would be showing up; he was quite a social butterfly, and he might recognize who he was being introduced to.

rocky, like moonbin, was a bit wary but otherwise uninterested. he wasn't the most social person, and would make a judgement on whoever the new student would be based on the way they held themselves rather than the interactions he had with whoever it would be.

myungjun looked quite glum about the whole thing, holding himself up with one hand on his cheek and an elbow propping himself up on the table. it was unlike him to be so down, but moonbin assumes he had just had gym class, considering he wasn't the fondest of unneeded exercise.

at last, the other halted their conversations as jinwoo came up to the table, someone quite small trailing behind him, hiding his face between jinwoo's clothed shoulder bones. sanha peered at the small teenager behind him curiously, wanting to see who it was that had managed to become friends with jinwoo.

"who's your friend, hyung?" sanha asked excitedly, practically vibrating in his seat. jinwoo let a fond smile slip onto his face at the mention of the small guest he had invited to their lunch table. 

he grasped the small teenager behind him by the wrists, the grip looking a bit too tight. moonbin's breath was immediately taken away by the beauty that jinwoo had somehow secured as a friend, words halting before they escaped his mouth.

the teenager that jinwoo had brought along with him had rosy red cheeks, nose pink and small on his face, the bridge of his nose straight and soft. his lips were plump and pink, parted slightly. they contrasted his pale, smooth skin, and his eyes were a beautiful chocolate brown that were bright under the fluorescent light of the cafeteria. his hair was a dark brown, almost black, and slightly curly, falling to cover his eyebrows slightly.

even his clothes had complemented the short, skinny teenager, donning a very large light blue sweater, and black skinny jeans, upper thighs covered by the woollen apparel. the sleeves slipped over his hands, which were brought up to his face, fingers barely poking out from the sleeves, spread out and covering his face, cheeks flushing a light crimson.

a quick look at the others proved to moonbin that he hadn't imagined it, or over-reacted in some way. they all seemed as taken aback by him. jinwoo grinned at the group's reaction, sitting down in his usual spot, the mysterious beautiful teenager hesitantly taking a seat next to him, looking nervous.

"guys, this is cha eunwoo," jinwoo introduced, a small light of warning in his eyes as he spoke the next words, gripping eunwoo's hands under the table tightly. he looked all too satisfied as he spoke the next words, and if eunwoo was uncomfortable, he didn't let it show. he was pulled closer to jinwoo in what looked like a slightly rough manner, an arm wrapped around his thin waist. "my boyfriend."


	2. ( two )

둘 장 ~ two

eunwoo gulped slightly once he had left the school, backpack hanging off one delicate shoulder, pulling his sweater down to expose his collarbones. he didn't bother moving it, knowing that jinwoo would soon pull it down once more when they were inside the safety of the older's car.

he was quickly grabbed by the hand by jinwoo, who had run up beside him, almost dragging the fifteen-year-old behind him now. eunwoo winced slightly, a small cry of pain escaping him when jinwoo gripped one of the bruises on his wrists tightly. the high school senior simply ignored the small noise, not making any indication he heard it in the first place.

they had finally reached jinwoo's car, parked near the back of the school so no one could see him or eunwoo through the tinted windows of the car. jinwoo opened the passenger seat door, pushing him in roughly. eunwoo stumbled slightly, catching himself before he fell on the car door before climbing in carefully, not wanting to jostle his wounds.

jinwoo immediately drove off after he had closed the door, not even waiting for eunwoo to secure a seatbelt properly before accelerating rapidly. his eyebrows were furrowed, face tight and lips tugged downwards. he had a tight grip on the steering wheel, and eunwoo could deduce from this that he was mad. when jinwoo was mad, things never ended well for him.

eunwoo flinched once they reached jinwoo's home and he closed the driver's side's car door with a slam. when his own door opened, he scrambled to get up, only getting pulled up by his forearms anyways, despite the small gasp that escaped him as he had squeezed a bruise.

his grip only seemed to tighten after hearing the pained sound escape him, eunwoo's eyes filling up with tears, just barely held back in public view. jinwoo dragged eunwoo into the house, throwing him against the stair rail right by the door as soon as the door was closed behind him.

eunwoo let out a cry of pain, knees buckling under him harshly as he looked up at jinwoo, terror evident in his eyes. jinwoo breathed heavily, kicking the wall next to him as he ran a through his hair angrily. eunwoo flinched heavily at the thud that had gone through the house at the action.

jinwoo stormed up to him, grabbing him by the collar of the sweater and practically dragging him up the stairs, all the while eunwoo was nearly sobbing, face wet from tears. jinwoo opened the door to his and eunwoo's "shared" room, throwing him onto the bed.

through eunwoo's haze of pain, he could smell the weed on jinwoo, knowing almost immediately that he had gotten high, and then gotten angry over some trivial matter and had decided to take his frustrations out on the freshman. of course, he didn't dare say this aloud, still terrified into silence by the intimidating demeanour the older teenager had.

jinwoo threw his jacket off of him, the fabric hitting the wall. he clenched and unclenched his fists, muttering under his breath as he paced back and forth before slamming the window in the room shut loudly and closing the curtains roughly.

he pulled up eunwoo by his frail upper arms, grip tight and firm despite one hand coming up to grab it. jinwoo grabbed the wrist of that hand tightly, putting more and more pressure on it until eunwoo buckled to his knees in front of jinwoo.

eunwoo cried out sharply as a foot connected to his stomach, hands released from jinwoo's iron grip, the kicks coming at a faster rate, leaving eunwoo stuttering pleads through harsh sobs.

"s—stop, pl—please," he choked out in a breathy voice, completely overtaken by tears. this only prompted jinwoo further, before stopping, panting heavily as he stood above the high school freshman. eunwoo couldn't see anything at this point, eyesight blurred as tears dripped out of his eyes, clumping together his long eyelashes.

the high school senior was far from over, picking him up by the waist and throwing him onto the bed. eunwoo sobbed even louder, already knowing what was coming from the terrifying high school senior. 

"please—please do—don't, jinwoo-hyung—" he was immediately cut off by a harsh slap falling upon his pale cheek. he looked up at him, eyes wide and fearful. jinwoo scoffed upon seeing the look on his face before tugging his pale blue sweater down his shoulder, exposing his collarbones, standing out against his sunken skin. 

jinwoo immediately began attacking his collarbones and neck with his teeth, marking him with dark crimson and violet marks that marred his pale creamy complexion. eunwoo cried out, tears springing to his eyes as he tried to pull away from the older. it was in vain, however, the older high school senior holding him down by the shoulders tightly. 

eunwoo's hair fell into his face, spread across it messily after the entire ordeal. jinwoo had bitten too hard in some places, causing the bites that marred him to bleed out, a dark coppery colour in the shape of teeth marks littering his upper chest. jinwoo released his grip on eunwoo, leaving the freshman trembling on the mattress, curling up on his side as he sobbed quietly into his knees, covered by his light sweatpants. he was lucky that jinwoo hadn't ripped any of his clothes this time around. 

jinwoo had left the room, returning with bandages to cover the few marks that had been oozing blood, wrapping them a bit too tightly, but pulling the trembling younger into his lap, rocking him back and forth as he stroked his hair, eunwoo's head tucked into his chest as he cried softly. 

"i love you," jinwoo said softly, eyes filled with a strange glint that eunwoo didn't notice. the younger simply responded with a nod, still crying softly into jinwoo's chest, though the tears were tapering off slowly as he blinked his eyes rapidly, eyelashes fluttering against the now-pale skin on his cheeks.

"i—i love you, too," he returned in a breathy voice. eunwoo sincerely believed the words that jinwoo had told him, and meant the ones he had said back to the older. to him, it wasn't jinwoo's fault he had gotten angry so easily, and it wasn't jinwoo's fault that he had been prone to letting his frustrations out on eunwoo, either. his mentality was, 'maybe if he was good enough, he would be able to fix jinwoo.'

it was this thought process that would soon come to destroy the younger completely.


	3. ( three )

셋 장 ~ three

eunwoo had been lucky that he had been wearing a large sweater when he went home, covering the bandages that covered his multiple wounds neatly. it wasn't like his mother would care all that much, but pretending she did proved as some sort of comfort for him. 

the drive to his home was a quiet one, neither jinwoo nor eunwoo wanting to break the silence that filled the car. eunwoo shifted in his seat, wincing at the pain that shot through his back at the movement that jostled the bruises on his back. jinwoo took no notice, and if he did, then he didn't let it show.

"just three more weeks," jinwoo hummed under his breath, a hand reaching over to rest on eunwoo's thigh, thumb rubbing circles onto the fabric. eunwoo nodded slowly, a small smile creeping onto his face, obviously forced. he could see jinwoo watching for his reaction through the mirror, and didn't want to make him mad again, like he always did.

eunwoo stepped out of the car carefully once they had stopped in front of the fresh man's home, pulled up at the side of the curb. he went round to the drivers side, which had been facing the home, and him goodbye with a gentle kiss pressed to jinwoo's cheek. 

"i love you," eunwoo said quietly, feeling happier when he saw the smile that lit up jinwoo's usually stern face. one of eunwoo’s biggest flaws was his want to make others happy. it might’ve been because he was terrified of disappointing anyone else, but he liked the feeling of it. maybe it was why he had let jinwoo “love” him the way he did, accepting the beatings with his head bowed after seeing the stress released from him after it all. 

he ignored the glint in his eyes as he spoke the words, playing it off as a trick of the light. eunwoo watched the car drive off from the curb, only waiting until it was completely gone from sight before going to the front door, opening it without a key. 

he sighed quietly, already knowing that his mother had forgotten to close it, even knowing that they were more likely to get jumped or robbed at the part of the town they lived in. one glance at her, laid on the couch without a care in the world, cigarette clasped between her two fingers, and he knew that trying to tell her this now— or ever, really— would be in vain.

slowly making his way upstairs, he stumbled his way into the bathroom, taking his backpack with him. he paused in front of the mirror, carefully pulling his sweater up with slender, pale fingers. the damage done to his stomach made him wince just looking at it, the blue and purple welts painting his skin in shades of pain.

he simply pulled out the bruise cream he had bought in secret a few days ago. had jinwoo found it in his weekly searches of his backpack, eunwoo wouldn’t have been able to walk for a while, jinwoo thinking he was erasing the marks of love he had imported on the younger’s frail body. 

he applied the cream carefully, crying out in pain quietly when his fingers brushed the new ones he had from jinwoo kicking him in the stomach multiple times. he didn’t put any on the hickeys not covered by bandages, knowing that they would be replaced as soon as they even faintly faded. 

eunwoo was simply glad he still had another three weeks to go before jinwoo would try to bed him, his birthday in those three weeks. he would be the legal age of consent— “at last,” jinwoo would say— and he was dreading what would happen then. 

if this was how rough jinwoo had been simply when he was marking him, he was completely terrified of the way he would be in three weeks, no law keeping him from doing what he wanted to the younger. it was out of love, though. in eunwoo’s mind, it was or of love. that was all that mattered. 

his phone began ringing from his bag, and he picked up the large phone with both hands, fabric pulled over most of his palms. he didn’t have to check the caller i.d. before picking up, already knowing who had called him. 

“he—hello...?” he said quietly into the phone, voice soft and breathy. the response came almost immediately, jinwoo’s voice coming in through the small speaker. 

“baby? could you come over? please? i’ve been feeling so guilty about everything that happened today, and i want to apologize properly. please? for me?” jinwoo’s voice sounded guilt-filled and eunwoo had felt his heartstrings tug at how pitiful his voice sounded. he glanced at the door, imagining how furious his mother would be when she would find out he had left. 

“...i’ll be there in a little bit, jin-jin,” eunwoo couldn’t help the small nickname that had slipped out of his mouth. he simply knew that jinwoo liked it, and had been asking him to use it a bit more than he did before. maybe if he said it enough, jinwoo wouldn’t get so mad. he immediately cursed himself for thinking like this, and paid attention to what jinwoo had been saying into the phone. 

“—i’ll come pick you up myself, and then you can meet him properly!" jinwoo said through the phone. eunwoo blinked, having missed the first half of what he had said. he bit his lip, knowing if he admitted it there would be consequences. 

“you do know what you have to do, right?” jinwoo asked, voice going serious. eunwoo panicked, hands shaking slightly. without thinking of the consequences, he quickly answered. 

“yes, jin-jin,” he lied, voice soft and hands trembling. jinwoo immediately seemed to sound happier, and he sounded as though he was smiling through the speaker. 

“i’ll come pick you up in ten minutes. don’t forget to bring some extra clothes.” jinwoo said, ending the call. eunwoo put the phone down, hands shaking as his breathing picked up slightly. if jinwoo found out he was lying, he would be furious. 

leaving the bathroom with his bag and his phone, he stepped into his room, taking a pair of sweatpants and a hoodie jinwoo had given him and packing them in his bag, replacing his school books with them. he packed a small face towel as well, just in case he would need it. 

he stood outside the home, waiting for jinwoo, and blinking when he noticed someone else in the passenger seat. the same person stared back, head tilting to the side before turning to jinwoo, seemingly asking him something that jinwoo seemed to deny, gesturing for eunwoo to go to the back of his small car. 

he did so, climbing in carefully with his bag in hand. jinwoo looked at him through the rear view mirror, a small smile playing on his face. the other person in the passenger seat looked slightly uncomfortable, as though he had been regretting a decision of his. 

“baby, this is moonbin. he’ll be your personal trainer. i just told you about him,” jinwoo said. eunwoo immediately nodded, though he looked slightly confused. jinwoo noticed, and explained further. 

“i just noticed that you’re starting to look fat and i thought you’d want to be skinnier.” eunwoo nodded again, biting his lip and lowering his head as to make sure that jinwoo didn’t notice the tears brimming in his eyes. 

he wasn’t aware that moonbin had and was very uncertain of what he was going to do in this situation, clearly taken aback by the skinny teenager and wondering if he actually needed to eat more rather ham jinwoo asking him to make a diet plan and exercise schedule. 

it was where the first suspicions something wasn’t quite right with the pair had started.


	4. ( four )

셋 장 ~ four

eunwoo blinked up at moonbin, the two of them reaching the gym that jinwoo had dropped them off at promptly. he had promised to call every half-hour, though eunwoo knew it would most likely be every ten minutes. he was actually pretty sure that jinwoo had decided to stick around for a while, watching from a back room or something, making eunwoo paranoid.

he stepped back from moonbin, ignoring the questioning look he was given. he looked around quickly, eyes darting around the dance practice room as he watched out for jinwoo. moonbin quietly cleared his throat, gulping slightly once the small-statured teenager looked at him, slight panic in his eyes.

"um, do you wanna get... started...?" he asked uncertainly, wringing his hands together. eunwoo looked at him, blinking once before nodding slowly, uncertainly walking up to moonbin and looking up at the much taller male. he was about a foot taller than the five-foot-tall fifteen-year-old. 

eunwoo had taken a moment to look at his phone once, despite no text tone coming from the device. moonbin cleared his throat, eunwoo's head snapping up as he tucked it in his bag at the side. 

"s—sorry," eunwoo stuttered, bowing to the older. moonbin looked clearly uncomfortable by the respectful gesture, waving his hands to signal him to stop. 

"no, it's fine, eunwoo." moonbin reassured him by smiling gently at the younger and sitting cross-legged on the shiny wooden floor of the dance studio, beckoning him to do so as well. eunwoo hesitantly took a seat a few feet away from him, sitting cross-legged. 

"so, i guess we'll start off with a few stretches?" moonbin asked him, gaining a small nod from eunwoo. moonbin had put his leg out as far as it could go, grabbing his toes with his fingers, leaning forward. eunwoo tried to do the same, wincing in pain when he leaned forward, the welts on his stomach paining him greatly. 

the hunger pains in his stomach didn't help at all, and one of his hands moved away to lightly touch his sides. when he slipped a hand under his shirt and felt a wet substance on his abdomen, he froze. moonbin noticed the action, worried for the younger. 

"is something wrong?" eunwoo shook his head, getting up as he pulled his hand out from under his woollen sweater, not daring to look at it yet, standing up. 

"i—i just need to—to go to the bathroom," he stuttered out breathily, practically sprinting into the hall, bag in hand. he quickly found the public restroom, going into the family restroom and locking the door behind him. 

he lifted his woollen sweater up, eyes widening as he noticed one of the old cuts had been opened up once more. his hands shook as he reached into his bag, letting the sweater he wore fall into place. he pulled out a roll of bandages, wrapping it around his thin waist, pressing it against the cut, wincing. 

when he was about to finish up, a soft knock fell on the door, and eunwoo turned, shuffling to the door as though he was a misbehaving child. he answered with a soft, "yeah?"

"are you alright?" moonbin asked through the door, voice concerned. "you kind of just— ran off." eunwoo shook his head behind the door, though moonbin wouldn't see it. 

"i'm fine, bin. don't worry about it," he said, managing to keep his voice from wavering and informing moonbin indirectly that he really wasn't. he waited until he heard a small sigh before moving away from the door. not even five minutes later and a loud banging sounded on the door, making eunwoo flinch. 

he quickly shoved the bandages into the very bottom of his bag, and the pills he was about to take before unlocking the door, opening it hastily to show jinwoo, looking angry. he gulped, nervous, before getting yanked out by the forearms, crying out lightly. he fell into jinwoo's chest before getting pulled to face him in the eyes, though jinwoo had to glare down at him. 

"we're going home. now," he growled lowly, practically dragging him out. eunwoo looked around, nervous that someone that had seen, and his heart sank to the bottom of his stomach as he noticed moonbin, eyes wide as he watched, peering out from the behind the dance studio's door. they didn't look away from each other until eunwoo was jerked by the arm again, speeding him up.

as soon as they reached the car, jinwoo was mad again, despite having tried to 'apologize' to him again by being 'concerned' for his health. he climbed into the car swiftly, jinwoo already driving by the time he closed the door. he was going fast, swerving almost all over the road, eunwoo whimpered quietly and curled up in his seat. 

they finally reached home. jinwoo's home. it was nearly nine in the evening on a school day and he was at jinwoo's home, while he was angry. 

jinwoo dragged him up and out of the seat, eunwoo leaving the bag behind as he pulled him inside. as soon as they had reached the living room, jinwoo threw eunwoo onto the couch, eunwoo pulling away. he paced in front of him, running both hands through his blue hair, messing it up completely. 

"can you please—" jinwoo cut off, breathing deeply, enraged. "can you please explain to me why moonbin called me telling me that you locked yourself in the fucking bathroom instead of working with him?" eunwoo tried to stutter out an answer before jinwoo cut in. 

"and don't you fucking dare lie to me, you bitch! you think i don't know about you doing stupid fucking shit when you go home like you think that's you can fucking hide it!" eunwoo was left speechless, cowering on the couch, the lights still closed, only a yellow one from the dining room, leaving the atmosphere eerie. 

"i—i didn't— i didn't lie—" jinwoo cut him off with a laugh, bitter and loud. 

"you know the punishment for lying, lee dongmin. do you really want to force me to do that?" eunwoo's eyes widened, and he scrambled back onto the couch. 

"jinwoo— jinwoo, please, i didn't— i didn't lie, jinwoo— please, i didn't, i would never—" eunwoo was begging at this point, tears brimming in his eyes and voice shaky and breathy.

"you know i hate liars, dongmin. get upstairs and on the bed, and don't you fucking dare move."


	5. ( five )

다섯 장 ~ five

eunwoo shook violently as he made his way upstairs quickly, hands and legs tremoring. jinwoo had been downstairs, and eunwoo knew he was making his way to the basement, shuddering at the thought. 

he opened the door to jinwoo's room with small, gentle hands, and gulped at seeing the perfectly-made bed, already terrified in anticipation of what he knew was coming. eunwoo stumbled over onto the bed, collapsing on the silken sheets. he sat on the bed on his knees, facing the headboard with his head bowed. 

eunwoo flinched at every footstep that had grown slowly closer with each thud, not daring to turn around once the door slowly creaked open. jinwoo's quiet voice floated through the room, making shudders go down eunwoo's spine, hand clenching around the silken sheets on the bed. 

"take your shirt off," jinwoo said, his voice practically daring him to disobey him. eunwoo did so, shaking hands trying to quickly take it off before jinwoo's voice cut through once more. 

"slowly." eunwoo froze up slightly at this, never having had this request from jinwoo before. tears dotted the corners of his eyes as he slowly took off the over-large sweater, hands shaking. once he had taken it off, he closed his eyes tightly, muscles tensing. 

jinwoo flipped the small knife in his hand, gripping it tightly. he moved towards the fifteen-year-old, grabbing eunwoo by the hair harshly, a small cry of pain escaping him. jinwoo turned the knife on eunwoo's back suddenly, drawing a scream out of eunwoo. 

"st—stop! please, jinwoo, please! i didn't lie! please!" eunwoo sobbed, breaths heavy and panting as jinwoo continued to carve into his back, not stopping. eunwoo attempted to pull away, but the grip on his hair stopped him from being able to budge. 

"jinwoo! jinwoo! please, please, stop! st—stop! i—i haven't— i never lied!" jinwoo ignored the cries of the younger, digging the knife deeper and earning a louder scream from him. jinwoo eventually pulled the knife from eunwoo's delicate skin, revealing a bright crimson 'i' on his back next to a previously carved 'l' that had been imprinted into his skin, an ugly scar that forever marred his skin. 

"you have two more fucking chances not to lie, and maybe you'll finally learn to be good," jinwoo snarled, letting go of his hair and letting the sobbing younger fall back onto the bed, back rubbing harshly against the silken sheets. jinwoo left the room, leaving eunwoo to attempt to calm down, breaths coming out short and fast, unable to draw a proper breath. 

jinwoo eventually returned, scooping him up in his arms, ignoring the pained gasp at his bare back rubbing on his arms, jinwoo's nose wrinkling upon seeing the stains it left. he kicked open the basement door after making his way down the stairs. 

jinwoo practically cradled the softly crying younger in his arms, making his way down the basement stairs slowly. once he reached the bottom, he dropped eunwoo on the bed situated in the basement, causing him to cry out once more. jinwoo grabbed a silk collar, putting it around eunwoo's neck and locking it, a metal ring attached to the front. 

eunwoo's hand reached up to touch it weakly, only for his eyes to widen upon seeing jinwoo attach a chain to the front and then to the headboard. it was quite short, leaving eunwoo having to sit very close to the headboard. jinwoo didn't spare him a look as he left a box of first aid just out of reach. he made his way to the stairs, closing the lights, knowing that eunwoo was terrified of the dark. 

he paused at the door, hand on the doorknob before turning, an almost regretful look on his face. 

"this never would've happened if you were good." 

jinwoo then left, leaving eunwoo crying on the bed in the dark, only one thought racing through his mind. 

'he was right.'

\---

moonbin couldn't help but feel bad after seeing what his actions directly lead to, watching eunwoo being pulled away by jinwoo, looking almost- scared? that wouldn't make sense. jinwoo was his boyfriend, not someone who would hurt him.

if him calling jinwoo had gotten eunwoo in trouble, moonbin would've never been able to forgive himself for directly doing so, despite only meeting the younger twice. there was something about him that made him enamoured in with eunwoo. maybe his eyes, or the quiet demeanour with which he held himself with. 

he snapped out of his thoughts after minhyuk entered his room; he had gone home after seeing eunwoo leave, not really having a reason to stay behind after school. minhyuk sighed, seeing him lying on his back on the bed, watching tv upside-down. 

"why are you so weird?" he asked, stepping into the room and sitting cross-legged on the ground next to the bed, the bed having been pushed up against the wall. minhyuk handed a game controller to moonbin, using his own to quickly set up a game. moonbin didn't bother getting off his back, simply opting to play upside-down. 

"so, why are you acting all mopey," minhyuk asked while playing, not taking his eyes off the screen. moonbin shrugged, tongue poking out of the corner of his mouth in concentration. 

"i'm not really mopey, just worried," he replied, furrowing his eyebrows as a particularly hard part of the game had started up. minhyuk licked his lips. 

"what do you have to be worried about?" he asked, fingers flying over the controller as he fought off an npc enemy. 

"i dunno, the vibe that jinwoo gives off when he's around his boyfriend is kinda... off? i don't really know how to explain it that well." minhyuk scoffed quietly, voice taking on a teasing tone. 

"you sure you're not just jealous?" moonbin tipped his head to the side, confused but also distracted. 

"what'd you mean? i don't like jinwoo, remember? he's off-limits after myungjun—" minhyuk cut him off quickly, sounding frustrated. 

"not of eunwoo, of jinwoo. i mean, he looks like a catch, man, especially living in washington. do you know how hard it is to find hot people here?" moonbin snorted, finishing off an enemy and the conversation. 

"well, even if he is a catch, he's jinwoo's. besides, he's happy with jinwoo, isn't he? why else would they be together?"


	6. ( six )

**여섯** **장** **~ six**  

eunwoo had been let out of the basement almost a day later, dried blood on his back that jinwoo had wrinkled his nose at when he helped the younger teenager out of the room. eunwoo flinched back when jinwoo first approached him but took his hand hesitantly when the older gave him a sweet smile, eyes curving up into crescents. it was the smile that eunwoo had ended up falling for in the first place, and he had trouble ignoring the warmth that spread in his chest when he saw it. 

somewhere in the mind that had been poisoned by false hopes, eunwoo  _knew._ he knew that it wasn't healthy, but that thought had been buried deep under the layers of sweet nothings that jinwoo had promised him almost hundreds of times since they first met nearly a year before they told jinwoo's friends. 

eunwoo was... shy. he hated showing affection in public and had pushed at jinwoo to put off telling his friends until he felt as though it was too risky for him to try and ask again. jinwoo had slowly gotten more and more impatient, especially when he had seen that eunwoo bumped into moonbin the day they had been introduced to each other. jinwoo seemed to have made up his mind right then and there, taking the first chance to claim him in front of moonbin and their friends. 

eunwoo was snapped out of his thoughts when he was laid gently on the couch by jinwoo, who left to make his way to the kitchen and grab the younger boy a cup of water with a straw. 

eunwoo hated it. 

he hated how jinwoo could act nice one minute before completely snapping and getting angry for no reason. it made him confused and scared and unsure of whether the burning in his chest was from love or heartbreak. 

maybe it was easier to imagine that it was love. eunwoo found little elsewhere away from jinwoo, his mother a haggard smoker who had little regard for him, and his father long-since out of the picture. eunwoo had grown up mostly learning to rely on himself, but still craved the affection he never had from the figures in his life he should have. 

maybe that was why he had fallen so easily for jinwoo's romantic gestures when they first met, the then fifteen-year-old and seventeen-year-old quickly growing close once eunwoo started going to his high school. he found himself pampered and cared for the first time in nearly ten years, and jinwoo drew him in with a sweet smile and comforting words that made up for the small times he would get angry, at first. 

then, it simply escalated, growing more and more angry over small things, but turning around and apologizing after a few hours, the time depending on how mad jinwoo was. but even after the first time that eunwoo had felt jinwoo backhand him in an argument, he still clung to the twisted love he believed that jinwoo had for him. 

to jinwoo, eunwoo was a doll. a pretty porcelain figure he could dress up and paint with red, purple, and blue hues. a doll that he broke when he was angry like a child having a temper tantrum, and always put back together with super glue. jinwoo knew that one day, his little toy would snap. that he would shatter into pieces with the super glue flaking away slowly, and he didn't care. he learned not to. he would simply find another pretty thing to toy in the same way, never satisfied. 

and eunwoo, simply a little doll that jinwoo had broken and manipulated time and time again, was none the wiser. 

\---

when moonbin made his way to his next class almost a week after the incident concerning the exercise that jinwoo had interrupted, he pauses when he noticed what looked like myungjun and minhyuk in a heated argument, both looking angry simply through their body language and expressions on their faces. 

he approached the two quickly, stepping between the two of them to stop the fight, a hand coming up to lightly pat against each chest until they moved back. 

"i  _get it,_ you don't like it. just suck it up and move on you insecure fuck."

minhyuk glared before storming away, leaving moonbin to look searchingly at myungjun, who simply pushed his hand away before leaving in the opposite direction. moonbin had stood in the hallway, glancing between where the two of them had been before licking his lips slightly and returning to class. when he did, he caught sight of sanha on the way there, and waved at him. all he got from the younger teen was a frown.

moonbin swore he caught sight of myungjun with him before he bumped into someone, looking down to see that it was eunwoo himself, the one who he had on his mind the entire time. he almost immediately jumped back, stuttering out an apology. 

"i **—** i'm so **—** sorry, moonbin-ssi," he stammered, bowing repeatedly before turning to leave, moonbin just grabbing him by his slender wrist, fingers over-lapping on top of each other while wrapped around the thin appendage. eunwoo looked terrified by the grip but gave in quickly, a habit of his. moonbin noticed, releasing his grip on the younger before speaking softly to him with a concerned tone. 

"eunwoo, what happened after you left the gym?" eunwoo immediately froze up, snaking his arms around himself protectively. 

"nothing **—** nothing ha **—** happened," he said, tears already to gather under his dark eyelashes. moonbin moved forwards, ducking down slightly to reach his height, about five foot three. eunwoo flinched back, clutching onto the schoolbooks pressed against his chest tightly. 

"tell me the truth, eunwoo." 

 _'liar,'_ was the only thought playing in eunwoo's mind. like a broken record slowly getting louder with each time it was repeated, eventually growing to the point were tears started leaking out of his eyes and slowly sliding down his pale cheeks. he could just barely hold back repressed sobs, turning from him and running, limping slightly as he did. all the students had gone to their classes already, leaving eunwoo and moonbin in the hallways alone. 

moonbin quickly caught up to the younger boy, who had collapsed onto his knees, school books dropped in front of him in a scattered mess, papers and pens all over the floor. eunwoo was sobbing into his hands, shaking violently as he wept. moonbin kneeled down, engulfing him in a gentle hug, the younger resisting at first before crying into his shirt, leaving a dark patch on the fabric that had been nearby his eyes. 

moonbin rubbed his back lightly, immediately stopping once the younger cried out slightly at the contact with his skin. moonbin settled on resting his arms gently on his back, only a hair away from putting pressure on his back. eunwoo didn't seem to mind, and his cries slowly got slower before tapering off into sniffles. 

"eunwoo." the younger flinched once moonbin said his name, looking up to him with a tear-stained face, tear-tracks tattooed onto his cheeks. moonbin used a hand to push back eunwoo's hair slightly, the younger already anticipating the question. 

"eunwoo, what's going on?"


	7. ( seven )

** 일곱 ** **** ** 장 ** **  ~ seven **

eunwoo blinked rapidly, already feeling the tears returning to his eyes just at the thought. moonbin shushed him quietly, running his hands through the younger's hair lightly. eunwoo calmed slightly but looked up at him through his eyelashes, voice wavering as he spoke softly.

"no **—** not he **—** here, please," he asked quietly, and moonbin couldn't find it in him to refuse the teenager, nodding in confirmation as he stood up, offering the younger his hand, which he took, eunwoo's practically dwarfed compared to moonbin's. he couldn't help the whimper that escaped him when he stood up, back feeling as though it was on fire.

"are you okay?" moonbin asked almost as soon as he heard the sound, eunwoo nodding as a response, "i can carry you if you want."

eunwoo hesitated for a moment before nodding, squeaking slightly when moonbin lifted him up, wrapping his legs around the older's waist to make sure he didn't fall. moonbin made sure to grasp him from his mid-back as to not hurt him, and he assumed that it worked, since eunwoo sighed softly, the breath tickling the nape of his neck.

"where do you want to go?" moonbin asked quietly. eunwoo tightened the grip around his neck before answering, voice shaky.

"anywhere but here."

\---

eunwoo was set down gently on moonbin's bed, the younger looking up at him as he took a seat next to the younger, gentle hands holding eunwoo's, feeling them tremble slightly in his grip.

"what happened, eunwoo?" moonbin asked softly, tears already gathering in eunwoo's eyes.

"i **—** jinwoo, he **—** " eunwoo forced back a choked sob, moonbin unsure of what to do. he settled for running his hands through the younger's hair, eunwoo leaning heavily on moonbin at this point. he hid his face inside his hands, wiping at his cheeks endlessly as he struggled to speak.

"did jinwoo... hurt you?" moonbin asked quietly, voice unsure but still gentle. eunwoo nodded through his tears, sobbing slightly as he repressed the loud cries coming from him. moonbin pulled the younger into his lap, letting him cry into his shirt the second time that day. the older of the pair ran his hands through the younger's hair, shushing him gently.

"he **—** it was my **—** my fault **—** i was **—**  was bad, and **—** " eunwoo could barely breathe through his hysterics, shaking in moonbin's arms.

"you didn't do anything. he isn't allowed to hurt you like that, baby," moonbin murmured reassuringly, the nickname slipping from his lips without a second thought. eunwoo tried to pull away from him, completely lost in his panic.

"i **—** i need to **—** to goback. he'll **—** he'll be m **—** mad," he gasped out, tears still staining his cheeks, not stopping.

"eunwoo-"

"let **—** let go of **—** of me," eunwoo choked out, "pl **—** please."

"baby, he isn't good for you," moonbin whispered, heartbroken at the younger's words.

 _"let go of me!"_ eunwoo cried out, struggling weakly away from moonbin's gentle embrace until he released him. eunwoo stumbled his way down the steps after grabbing his bag, despite moonbin following and calling him back. he closed the front door, shoving a garden rake under the doorknob to stop him before running, limping as he did.

he could hear moonbin hitting the door, trying to get to him, and choked back a sob, making his way back to the school. he sweated slightly through his large hoodie, the pastel blue sleeves falling past his nimble fingers. he wiped his face as he ran, bag thumping against his back painfully with each footstep.

through the pain, eunwoo couldn't say that he didn't want to stay with moonbin.

\---

"i can't believe him sometimes," minhyuk huffed to sanha, the two teenagers eating lunch outside of school. sanha bit into his sandwich, simply nodding along to the same-aged schoolmate of his.

"i mean, he's been crushing on him for so long and now that jinwoo comes out with a boyfriend he gets pissy at  _me?_ like, how am i supposed to do shit about it?" minhyuk continued ranting, sanha pausing in his eating as he spoke carefully.

"he might just be bitter and mad at himself for waiting so long, and decided to take it out on the closest person he could find," sanha suggested, minhyuk sighing slightly.

"yeah, i get it, but **—** " minhyuk cut himself off, squinting to the distance as he noticed someone rushing back to the school. sanha caught sight of who he was looking at before a curious glint filled his eyes.

"isn't that eunwoo?" sanha asked, standing up so he could see better. minhyuk laughed a bit, snickering under his breath.

"good on him for skipping out on this hell-hole," minhyuk snorted under his breath. sanha furrowed his eyebrows slightly. 

"he looks like he's limping or something," sanha muttered under his breath. minhyuk sat up slightly, a small frown tugging his lips down a little. 

"how would he have even hurt himself? isn't jinwoo all, 'never gonna leave you alone,' sort of protective boyfriend like that?" minhyuk asked. sanha shook his head, picking up his backpack. 

"jinwoo's been kinda... different for the past year, y'know? i didn't really bring it up because i thought it wasn't a big deal, but... i dunno." sanha murmured, running a hand through his hair uncertainly. minhyuk previous nonchalance was replaced with something akin to disbelief. 

"you think jinjin did something?" minhyuk asked. sanha scoffed lightly, nodding to eunwoo, who had been approached by jinwoo. 

"well, does that look like 'good boyfriend' behaviour to you?" he asked, putting air-quotes around 'good boyfriend.' minhyuk leaned forward a bit to get a better view, watching jinwoo grab him by the wrist and drag him away, clearly rough. they weren't close enough to see their expressions properly from the stairway by the front of the school, but eunwoo looked as though he was clearly in pain. 

"well," he said finally, "he wouldn't  _stay_ with him if he hated him, right?" sanha shook his head, looking almost sad after hearing the words. 

"there's a lot you need to know minhyuk, and a bit of it comes from personal experience."


	8. ( eight )

여덟 장 ~ eight

 

eunwoo stared at the wooden surface of his dining table, eyes stuck on a piece of peeling brown paint, revealing white under it. there was a deep red apple, nearly black, placed in front of him that he was trying not to look at, blinking rapidly.

 

he looked up through dark eyelashes at jinwoo, who placed a hand on his head and ruffled a hand through his hair comfortingly, eunwoo leaning into it.

 

"you have to practice, kitten. that's the only way you'll get used to it," jinwoo told him, his words holding a dangerous meaning behind them. eunwoo breathed out shakily, picking up the apple as he bit into it.

 

as soon as the taste hit his tongue, he gagged, the peel tasting bitter in his mouth and against his teeth. the hands that jinwoo had been massaging his shoulders with tightened slightly, urging him on. eunwoo continued, forcing his way through it before he finished, leaving the core on the table.

 

"you know what to do next," jinwoo said, making small tears gather in eunwoo's eyes as he nodded, jinwoo helping him up as he made his way to the bathroom. jinwoo practically shoved him inside, parting with him with a few words.

 

"if you don't do it right, i'll know, okay? i'll wait outside to make sure," jinwoo said, voice just teetering on being stern and threatening. eunwoo nodded, trembling as jinwoo closed the door.

 

he knelt down in front of the toilet, on his knees as he stared into the clear water, shutting his eyes as he leaned back, turning his face to the ceiling and blinking rapidly.

 

he knew that this would be coming soon. jinwoo was too busy with his own affairs to try and work out with eunwoo himself, and he didn't want moonbin around eunwoo anymore; not after the altercation nearly a week ago. 

 

he still couldn't believe it had only been three weeks since he first met jinwoo's 'friends.' it had seemed like such a short time, but he had already grown attached to the prospect of having someone other than his mother and jinwoo in his life. 

 

"have you done anything yet?" jinwoo asked through the door, knocking on it a little as well, making eunwoo flinch. eunwoo nodded rapidly before realizing that jinwoo wouldn't be able to see him. 

 

"i—i tried, b—but nothing ha—happened," he stuttered out the lie, flinching as he heard jinwoo's frustrated growl.

 

"try again," came the answer. 

 

"b—but—"

 

"i said, try. again." his voice was darker than he had heard it before and he blinked rapidly to halt tears before answering, swallowing the lump in his throat. 

 

"o—okay," the sound came out as a whisper, eunwoo's delicate fingers clasping the edge of the porcelain toilet bowl, the other shoving three fingers down his throat. he gagged, pulling his fingers out without throwing up, his fingers covered in saliva he washed off, feeling gross. 

 

he tried again, and this time forced the fingers to stay in his throat, closing his eyes as he felt bile rise up in his throat, removing his fingers as he heaved into the toilet bowl through tears. 

 

he could hear jinwoo unlock the door, that had an outside lock on it, coming inside and rubbing his back gently. eunwoo pulled back and leant against jinwoo's legs, exhausted. jinwoo ran his hands through eunwoo's hair, pressing a kiss to his forehead. 

 

"you did so well, baby. i'm proud of you." eunwoo's heart fluttered at the words, a content sigh escaping him as jinwoo spoke softly to him. 

 

"go wash your hands and brush your teeth, baby. i'll be waiting upstairs." eunwoo nodded, and jinwoo left the bathroom, closing the door softly. 

 

eunwoo quickly washed his hands, rinsing out his mouth and brushing his teeth multiple times, throat aching slightly. eunwoo didn't mind, practically glowing from the praise that jinwoo gave him. 

 

when he finally went upstairs, he padded softly into jinwoo's room, immediately picked up by jinwoo by the thigh's, making him wrap his legs around jinwoo's waist on instinct, arms around his neck with his head resting on his shoulder. 

 

"jinnie's really proud of you, baby," the male whispered, making eunwoo smile against his neck, kissing the skin lightly. jinwoo's grip on eunwoo's thighs tightened slightly, sitting down on the bed and pushing eunwoo gently against the headboard. 

 

"jinwoo, i—" jinwoo silenced him by pressing his lips against the other's, straddling his waist before pulling back and speaking again, voice low and raspy.

 

_"this is what you get for being good, baby."_

 

and if being good meant hurting less, then eunwoo would gladly tear himself apart for jinwoo's approval.


	9. ( nine )

when moonbin returned to school over the weekend, it was obvious that myungjun and minhyuk had yet to make up after their fight, which was quite irritating when he didn't even know what the fight was over. he was hardly able to deal with a regular day at school, but now he had to deal with all this.

it was even worse when he found out that the two of them wanted him and sanha to take sides in the argument. the younger had refused to make any input on the argument, though it was painfully obvious to moonbin that he had been speaking more to minhyuk than the rest.

they didn't even know what it was about, but it had to have been pretty bad if it had managed to cause such a rift between the four of them. the only thing that moonbin knew would be a constant was eunwoo and jinwoo together at lunch, him watching on. (he swore he wasn't jealous.)

now that he knew that there most definitely was something wrong with what jinwoo portrayed as his and eunwoo's perfect relationship, he couldn't stop noticing little things that made his skin crawl as though termites were trapped under his skin.

the obvious contrast in power dynamic was one, nearly frightening moonbin with how submissive eunwoo appeared around jinwoo. whenever jinwoo requested something from eunwoo, the younger seemed reluctant to refuse, nearly no hesitations in his movements.

then there was how lightly eunwoo had always tread, making his best efforts to be what could only be described as  _perfect_ in any situation. he took painstaking details to get through whatever he was doing, even if it was something minuscule, like tying shoes.

moonbin knew something was wrong. he  _knew_ it, and he was going to find out exactly what.

**_―_ ** **傷害**

jinwoo sipped at the bottle of alcohol clasped tightly in his right hand, eyes glazed over and a goofy smile on his face that eunwoo couldn't remember seeing in nearly months. he hadn't needed eunwoo for anything yet, nor had he called him, so he had simply peeked around the corner every once in a while.

"eunwoo! eunwoo~" jinwoo called, voice slurred as he spoke. the younger flinched at the first words before making his way outside from the hallway. jinwoo pulled eunwoo into his lap as soon as he reached within arm's length of the high school senior.

jinwoo shoved his nose into eunwoo's neck, pressing kisses up and down the skin as he laughed drunkenly against his pale, porcelain skin.

"i love you, baby," jinwoo said, voice garbling slightly as he spoke. eunwoo's breath caught in his throat, almost believing the words for a moment as jinwoo snaked his arms around eunwoo's waist.

he turned in jinwoo's arms, the kisses getting slowly rougher as he wrapped his arms around jinwoo's waist, the both of them laying back on the couch. eunwoo had his head resting on jinwoo's chest once the older stopped kissing him, eyes sliding shut.

a knock fell upon the door gently, eunwoo slowly trying to get up before the grip on his waist tightened, jinwoo's large hands stopping him from going up to get it.

the doorknob slowly turned, eunwoo's eyes widening as he noticed moonbin peeking through the small crack in the door. his eyes flit around the living room before freezing as he caught sight of eunwoo and jinwoo curled up together on the couch.

"eunwoo―"

"leave," eunwoo whispered, eyes widened as he looked at jinwoo's eyes flutter open slightly. " _please, moonbin._ "

"eunwoo, are you oka―"

" _moonbin, leave,_ " eunwoo begged in a whisper, eyes terrified. "please. if you care." jinwoo's eyes opened, blinking blearily before catching sight of the door closing slowly and quietly. his eyes narrowed in anger. he sat up, eunwoo sliding off of him quickly.

"jinwoo, please―" jinwoo didn't even bother listening, stumbling up to the door and throwing it open, eunwoo flinching once it hit the wall and bounced back slowly.

"who the fuck are you?!" jinwoo shouted down the hall at moonbin, who had almost gone out of sight before he had been seen by jinwoo. the older stumbled forward, smashing the bottle against the wall of the house and leaving glass shards all over the ground.

eunwoo followed after, hesitant in his footsteps as he followed him carefully, not daring to get too close to him. moonbin turned, eyes widened as he noticed the broken glass bottle.

"stay a―away from my boyfriend, or i'll rip your fucking face off, alright?" jinwoo said, the alcohol making his voice stutter and stumble. moonbin hesitated in his answer, and that much was enough for him to charge forward, bottle raised.

moonbin pushed jinwoo back as he rushed forward, an arm holding back jinwoo's weapon-wielding arm from piercing his skin. eunwoo could only watch the both of them in horror.

moonbin let out a cry of pain as jinwoo stabbed the glass bottle through his shoulder, piercing the skin and making blood spring out from the wound. moonbin buckled to his knees, and eunwoo immediately sprinted forward, pushing jinwoo back as tears ran down his face.

"what's―what's wrong with you?" eunwoo whispered, voice breaking and heart hurting in his chest. jinwoo stumbled back, staring at the bottle in his hand and simply throwing it aside, voice dark as he spoke.

"cute of you to think i care."


	10. ( ten )

moonbin let out a small cry of pain as eunwoo's steady hands pulled out another shard of broken glass from the bloody wound on his shoulder. The younger wasn't squeamish, thankfully, though it didn't stop him from cringing whenever he had to gid through the messy wound with the pair of tweezers. 

there was a slowly-growing pile of broken, bloody glass on moonbin's bedside table, piled carefully on top of three layers of paper towels, should the blood leak through. eunwoo's face was tracked with tears, though the only evidence other than that was his breaths, which shook ever so slightly as he breathed in. 

eunwoo's hands were still shaking, and he still flinched every so often whenever moonbin moved. he pulled out a piece of glass, and just as he was about to take out another, moonbin clasped his hand carefully, a sad, gentle smile on his face as he looked at the younger's face. 

"it's okay, eunwoo," he said, hand moving to cup eunwoo's cheek lightly, "you don't have to be scared. you're  _safe._ "

eunwoo's vision blurred, finding himself stuttering out a sob as he found himself crying against moonbin's hand, tears caught by his large hand. the older pulled him into a hug with his good arm, shushing him quietly as he murmured sweet words into his ear. 

the breath against his ear had him feeling ticklish, giggling wetly through the tears. his tears returned full force, however, the realization finally coming through that he was  _safe._ he was away from jinwoo, away from the hurt, away from the mental and physical abuse. 

eunwoo started growing nearly hysterical in moonbin's arms, breath going fast and irregular as he struggled to breathe. moonbin rubbed his back the best he could as he sat up in his bed. 

"breathe, woo, breathe. focus on my breath," moonbin said, pressing one of the younger's hands to his chest, over-exaggerating its rise and fall to be as slow as possible, eunwoo trying to gulp in breaths at that same interval. 

by the time he finally did, the tears had slowed before tapering off, breaths becoming even as moonbin rubbed his back comfortingly. 

"it's alright, woo, it's alright," moonbin whispered, his voice soft. eunwoo nodded, pulling back and breathing out with a quivering sigh. he pulled back, needing to do something with his hands or anything to distract him again. he simply returned to the wound that he was earlier tending to, ignoring moonbin's quiet words that he didn't have to. 

he cleaned the wound with rubbing alcohol and wrapped it up with a bandage, wrapping it around his shoulder, winding around his armpit and just above his shoulder bone before cutting the tapering end off. moonbin examined it quickly before standing up and grabbing a tank top, pulling it over his bare chest. 

"thanks, woo," moonbin said, voice gentle. eunwoo simply nodded, packing everything up into the first aid kit moonbin had at his home. he left the room and put it away only to return with a cup of water, handing it wordlessly to moonbin. 

the older simply put it aside, tapping the spot where he had previously been sitting. upon eunwoo's confused look, he quickly explained. 

"your turn, woo," the older teenager said, eunwoo realizing what he meant. he nodded shakily, walking up to the bed and taking a seat lightly. 

moonbin began by slowly taking off the large hoodie he had on, making sure it wouldn't brush any possible bruises. when he had taken it off completely, he was horrified to find that there were splotches of them, most joining together to make one large bruise. some were yellowing, while others were purple and blue. 

"woo..." moonbin said, voice sympathetic as he trailed off, eyes wandering. eunwoo wrapped his arms around himself, embarrassed by the gaze. moonbin went to the en-suite bathroom, grabbing bruise cream off the counter and coming back. 

eunwoo paled when he saw the cream but didn't protest, simply watching him as he dabbed a bit of it on the two fingers of his good hand, movements a bit stiff. he started by lightly tapping it against one of the darker ones, eunwoo wincing. 

"sorry."

"it's fine, just―just finish fast," eunwoo murmured. moonbin nodded, trying to work as fast as he could. when he was about to finish, he looked at eunwoo's back only to freeze upon seeing the scars. eunwoo seemed to have forgotten before stiffening when he felt moonbin's fingers ghost over the scars. 

"i―" eunwoo was cut off quickly. 

"what did he  _do_ to you?" moonbin's voice was horrified and quiet, leaving tears in eunwoo's eyes once more. 

"i'm sorry―"

"no, don't apologize. you don't need to apologize.  _he_ should apologize. no, he doesn't even  _deserve_ to see you," moonbin said, voice rapid fire. eunwoo lowered his head, nodding lightly with his bottom lip between his teeth. 

"you deserve the  _world,_ woo, and i'm sorry i couldn't save you earlier," moonbin said, voice quiet and remorseful. eunwoo nodded again, crying into his hands as moonbin kneeled in front of him, cupping his face lightly and brushing away the tears with his thumbs. 

"it's alright, baby, it's alright." 

eunwoo wished he could believe him. 


End file.
